A Thing Called Soul

Isley Bros - Your Old Lady
Pete & Repeat - But Still I Do
Hollywood Playboys - Talk To Audrey
Bobby Moore & The Fourmost - Dance Of The Island
Saucers - Cha Wailey Routa
Oscar Martinez feat. Little Rudy Martinez - La Bamba
Rosco Gordon - Torro
Little Buck - So Fine, So Sweet
Tall Paul - Teen Age Hop
Big Mike - Down In New Orleans
Boogie Jake - Early In The Morning
Joan Shaw - You Drive Me Crazy
Jake Porter - El Toro
Bobby Reno & The Infernos - I've Been Hoo-Dood
Joe Tanner - The Battle
Carla Thomas - That Beat Keeps Disturbing My Sleep
Singers - Just A Little Further
Maria Tynes - Ain't Ready Yet
Showmen - Need Love
Soul Twisters - Swinging (On A Grape Vine)
Bayrons - Wild Turk
Gt's - A Thing Called Soul
Jordan Brothers - Turn On Your Love Light
Sunglows - All Night Worker
Roy Roberts - Got To Have All Your Love
Embers - Embers Theme-Before Six

Icing on the Gravy

Icing On The Gravy by Vg- on Mixcloud

The Adjutants - Progression
Noe Pro & The Semitones - Come Along My Baby
Trini Lopez - Sinner Not A Saint (Crown Cst3489 Mix)
Marjorie Lake & The Renowns - My Mind's Made Up
Dudley Callicutt & Go Boys - Get Ready Baby
Lazy Lester - Sugar Coated Love
Polka Dot Slim - A Thing You Gotta Face
Guitar Slim Green - Rock The Nation
Kip Anderson - I Wanna Be The Only One
Tony Harris With JJ Jones & His Band - Try This Lil' Ole Heart
Earl King - You Can Fly High
Jimmy Norman - I Know I'm In Love
Little Ray - You Can't Hurt Me
The Elgins - A Winner Never Quits
The Pyramids - What Is Love
El Gran Fellove - Goza Mi Ritmo
Willie Baby - Hot Buns Pt.1
Danny Bell & The Bell Hops - Chili With Honey
John Lee Hooker - She's Mine
Jean Shepard - He's My Baby
Emy Jackson - Crying In A Storm
Joe Tanner - The Battle
Aaron Neville - How Could I Help But Love You
Johnny & Jackey - Someday We'll Be Together
Mello Rose - I Love My Baby

Move This Thing

Move This Thing by Vg- on Mixcloud

Tune Tote Vol.1

Tune Tote Vol.1 by Fkunst on Mixcloud

The G-Clefs - Darla, My Darlin'

Neil Darrow With The Quarter Notes - She's A Fine Chick

Joe Johnson - Cool Love

Harold Burrage - Betty Jean

Rudy Greene - Juicy Fruit

Dee Clark - 24 Boy Friends

Jimmy Breedlove - Killer Diller

Teddy Reynolds & The Twisters - You Changed Me

The Flairs - Rock Bottom

Eugene Church - I Ain't Goin' For That

The Travelers - Teen Age Machine Age

The Bel-Aires - White Port & Lemon Juice

The Wheels - Let's Have A Ball

Jake Porter - The Whang

H-Bomb Ferguson - I Love My Baby

Tall Paul - Teen Age Hop

Buddy Lucas - Ho Didy Ho

Jay Hodge - Goatsville

Dean Stevens & Jiv-A-Tones - Flirty Gertie

Little Grier - But You

Young Guitar Red - Red Hot Red

Lonesome Sundown - I'm A Samplin' Man

The Duvals - Ferny Roast

I Done Done It, Part 1 (Classic 45 Rockers of the Distant Past)

link eddy combo - man with the golden arm

donoman and the lakettes - do you know

ann cole - each day

jimmy mccracklin - get back

lafayette and the lasabres - free way

frankie brent - hi ho silver

chuck wiley - tear it up

kenny loran - top man

the javalans - come dance with me

pat the cat and his kittens, featuring vic fontaine - little rock special

bob riley - midnight train

jimmy dee and the offbeats - don't cry no more

hugh barrett and the victors - got the bull by the horns

clint miller - bertha lou

the del-mars - snacky poo part one

the blonde bomber - strollie bun

eddie con los shades - tequila rock

bobby tuggle - the $64,000 dollar question

chuck brown - hard times

hound dog taylor - alley music

ervin rucker - done done the slop

chuck higgins featuring johnny watson - motor head baby

johnny little john - kitty o

Bip A Little, Bop a Lot

PART ONE


ronnie cells & the continentals - chicken
the poets - vowels of love
the el vienos - geraldine
floyd dixon - ooh little girl
joe penny - bip a little, bop a lot
danny zella - wicked ruby
gene summers - nervous
dave rich - rosie let's get cozy
harmonica frank - rock a little baby
brownie mcghee - anna mae
carl newman - twist on guitar
the slades - the waddle

PART TWO


brown brothers - you're right i'm left
hermanos carrion - adios adios amor
jimmy & johnny - what cha doin' to me
tommy hill - i wanta show my baby off
jimmie skinner - where my sweet baby goes
hal goodson & the raiders - who's gonna be the next one honey
arthur crudup - worried bout you baby
roy clark - pink velvet swing
the jaguars - thinking of you
the l'captans - say yes
jacky lee - misery
otis rush - you know my love
bobby tuggle - too late old man
marvin & johnny - ain't that right
hop wilson - chicken stuff

The Score Was Six To Nothing (And The Roaches Was Ahead)

doug anderson - i need someone
ernie tucker - can she give you fever
ray agee - i'm coming home
johnnie morisette - run
lattimore brown - say what
eugene blacknell - jump back
tommy tucker - sittin home alone
ZZ hill - oh darling
lorri rudolph - don't let them tell me
the memos - my type of girl
chuck edwards - bullfight
the bayrons - wild turk
the treniers - doin''em up
lloyd price - hello little girl
elton anderson - i love you
jimmy norman - i don't love you no more
henry clement - so in love with you
bob reed & his band feat.ivory lucky - i'm leaving you
danny brown - standing on the corner
jewel gospel singers - i know the lord will make a way

Smiley's Comeback Party

Mostly early-to-mid sixties popular music today. Starts off upbeat but drifts into blues, slow drags, and novelty. Hope you enjoy...

part one


tommy frontera - be mine
bobby comstock & the counts - you can't judge a book
erma franklin - don't wait
karel duba - drummer's dream
chet orr - be satisfied
jimmy lovemaker - soul
troy dodds - the earthquake
kerry adams - i just found love
little hooks - something money can't buy
harold hopkins - glamour girl
veniece - 18 days
frankie brunson - ward 13
mckinley mitchell - no love
sonny knight - besame mucho
beachniks - like stoned
kaiser foil  - do the switch

part two


? (life LFLP144) - 1.3
sandra sanger & arulan - ?
torquetts - bacardi
john j. moses - night out
bo dud & johnny twist - i am back
johnny jones - strung out
three flames - honolulu rose
malekowa & the tradewinds - kokohi
nick nastos - jazz banana
four finks - wiki wiki woo
whispering pigg - darlene
lamotta brothers & the virgin islanders - voodoo woman
box & bleacher society - movin' with the giants

She's Too Way Out

nolan strong & the diablos - my heart will always belong to you
richard berry - good love
doctor feelgood & the interns - mister moonlight
the mascots - lonely rain
the four deuces - WPLJ
georgie young - the sneak
junior wells - stomach ache
june gardner - hammerhead
the nite owls - hip monkey
bowlegs - one more time part 2
JC davis - the splib part 1
the starlets - money hungry
the hollywood jills - he makes me mad
gloria garcia - no puedes extranar
albert collins - whatcha say
JD edwards - hobo
ersel hickey - goin' down that road
rockin r's - crazy baby
move up to chrysler

Since I Been Gone

Mostly your relatively ancient American folkstyles mish-mashed together here (in honor of our nation's birthday), but framed by some Euro-type things, and of course North Carolina artists are foregrounded heavily as always. To begin with, lawyer and folkie Bascom Lamar Lunsford delivers a lusty and forceful "Hesitation Blues" in Asheville, N.C. for Robert Winslow Gordon on behalf of the feds in 1925. Then do enjoy the fidelity on Rudy Cipolla & David Grisman's "Chinese Carousel" because it's about the only semi-contemporary recording here. Those men did have a way with their mandolins. I bet it wouldn't be too hard to find a cleaner copy of the 78 of D. Halkias' "Minore Tou Halkia", but the story behind my finding this reissue is somewhat unusual: One Saturday a few years ago, I was negotiating the bike rack at a used book sale in Fort Mason, and an old man with a long beard and a sailor's cap was next to me strapping an album of old rembetikas onto the back of his bike, to give to his Armenian wife, apparently. I had totally forgotten about the LP section at the store, and sure enough he left a few volumes in the series behind for me.
Next up, ethnomusicologist Laura Boulton records Yaqui Indians performing "Matachines" for an Easter ceremony in Tlaxcala, Mexico, sometime around 1940, the George Ku Trio offer the tender plaint "Kuu Lei" from 1932, and the Highway QC’s sing "How I Love Jesus" from a rather rough-sounding promo Vee Jay 45 I recently picked up in Washington, DC. Channeling the profane once more, Calvin Johnson thunders through a truly rocking "Unsatisfied Mind" (with drum thwack at its most cardboard boxy) and Eddie Taylor boasts "I’m Gonna Love You," also recording for Vee Jay. A different genre, but you might hear the same lightly swinging rhythm tipping in with Norvin Kelly's Hank-styled "You Can’t Make Me Live With The Blues." I'm pretty sure Carl Belew had a hit on "24 Hour Night" but boy it sure is a dark and sorrowful tune. That's nothing though, compared to Dave Van Ronk's "Hang Me." A dying soldier's tragic fuck-you wrapped up in a petty dream of betterness. Worthy aside: Van Ronk threw rocks at cops at Stonewall. Jimmie's cousin Ernest Rodgers got to make a few sides for Victor in the 20's ; the well-known "Willie The Chimney Sweeper" belongs to the whole Minnie the Moocher/Jerry the Junker body of lurid drug songs and also evokes a whole lot of Barbary Coast hoodoo as well. I'm sure you all know Michael Hurley, who continues to record and tour today. "Lilly Pads" is a just a great old album track, and pretty catchy too.
The Blue Sky Boys, aka Bill & Earl Bolick out of Hickory, N.C., were recruited for an Illinois festival reunion in 1964 by none other than Archie Green (RIP), and "Midnight On The Stormy Deep" is but one of their many old hits rekindled that night. And now a couple of hillbilly tunes struck deep with the spirit: Fred Starr & His Mountain Boys's "Shout & Shine" is from a surprisingly stirring budget label LP, and this version of "There Ain’t No Grave" (a song I've never heard a bad version of) is off a 1961 single by Detroit-area duo by the name of Jimmie Williams & Red Ellis, both of whom had long careers prior to this. Play-party time again, and the mighty Algia Mae Hinton bangs out an "Old Time Buck Dance," mad breaks and all. Next is a record by the Internes. I'm pretty sure they're the Four Internes of Durham, N.C., whose career supposedly began while working as orderlies at Duke Hospital and recorded for King/Federal in the early 50's. "When You Pray" is an uptempo harmony fingersnapper from 1958. No surprises from Brownie McGhee's  "My Fault" ; his honest and unassuming manner make the song, and it's really in that Tampa Red/Melrose family vein of solid pop blues.
Les Waldroop's "Watergate Bug" is an obscure record even for him, and what a tangled, weird anachronism it is too. Collecting North Carolina records is even more fun when artists actually name-check places; that's only part of what makes Jack Grant 's "Raleigh Train" such a hoot, but it's a big part. Besides, train songs rule. Now to throw you off the scent, this isn't the Carolinian guitarist Arthur Smith, but the fiddling Arthur Smith Trio of an earlier era; their breakneck "I’m Bound To Ride" of 1935 was later covered by the Stanley Brothers. Not much info on this here National Geographic Music Of The Ozarks record, but I'll be darned if this "Guitar Medley" ain't the jam. Harmonica Frank Floyd presents the familiar "Married Man" descriptive novelty in fine form (I'd buy a bottle or two). As you can hear, he hadn't really mellowed out too much by the 70's.
Sandy & Jeanie Darlington's "When I Die" is simple revival purity, somewhat blemished by the following blue record: pretty sure that Pratt & George Blues Part 2 is from an instantaneous recording from the 1930's or possibly 40's, at any rate early for this kind of aimless funk. Stirring up the kettle a little bit, Radley Gourzong's take on one of the most ur-fiddle tunes ever, "Devil’s Dream," is a field recording from the Caymans, and is from the great compilation Under the Coconut Tree on Original Music. And now we hear some fine Hungarian orchestrated soul from Asszony Lesz A Lanybol with "Levelem, Levelem" and then, also from Hungary, one of Bela Bartok's legendary cylinder recordings. This is of two girls, Battovsky and Zichla, performing "Megjott A Level Fekete Pecsettel," and it is from around 1910.

Chunka Bo Bo

who says the oldies market is dead? here we have a typically unwieldy slew of ancient killers all personally exhumed from their original 45 rpms by yours truly, save one. please do crank it.

part one

the busters - bust out
thornton sisters - watch your step
pete & repeat - but still i do
wilbert harrison - don't drop it
barry darvell - geronimo stomp
the del mingos - young queen chunka bo bo
satan & deciples - mummy's curse
james mills - cobra
the dinks - nina kocka nina
the divots - dry cereal
huelyn duvall - three months to kill
rockin' ronald - cuttin' out
classie ballou - crazy mambo
christine kittrel - i ain't nothing but a fool
chuck danzy - git down



part 2

big bob dougherty - squeezer
the butanes - don't forget
hot tamales - hum double bubble
rudy and oscar martinez - la bamba
willie echols - here comes the night
chuck higgins - here i'm is
earl hooker - chicken
king ivory lee - rockin' in the cocanut top
rose johnson with fats gaines - rough house rose
rollee mcgill - rhythm rockin blues
bill taylor & the cyclones - nelda jane
tomko trio - carol
goyo's cats - mezcal
the wildtones - martian band
sony dupan - looney & goon
silky & the shantungs - fink
the zodiacs - another little darlin'